Summary
- Apple TV+ offers a wide range of genres, from comedy to sci-fi to psychological thrillers, providing quality content for diverse audiences.
-
Ted Lasso
is Apple TV+’s best show, praised for its honest depiction of mental health and strong portrayal of female characters. -
Women in Blue
is one of several Apple TV+ period dramas that uses a historical setting to explore complex contemporary social issues.
Having quickly established itself as one of the world’s leading streaming services, the best Apple TV+ shows include some of the most talked-about current series. Apple started producing its own original content in 2016, ramping up production after launching its own streaming service, Apple TV+, in 2019. Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Jennifer Aniston, Harrison Ford, and Jason Sudeikis, have appeared in original programs for Apple TV+, cementing its status as a reputable brand. Before too long, Apple had its own TV shows to rival the biggest hits on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Every new show on Apple TV+ adds to a roster that covers a wide range of genres, from comedy to science fiction to psychological thrillers. The sprawling original content library on Apple TV+ is home to feel-good comedies including Ted Lasso and Schmigadoon!, and dark, unsettling dramas like Severance. While Apple TV+’s catalog isn’t as expansive as other streaming services, its more boutique approach still offers plenty of quality content. As such, the best TV shows on Apple TV+ are well worth closer consideration from audiences — whatever they’re interested in.
Best Comedy TV Shows On Apple TV+
Sunny (2024)
2024 continues to be a strong year for new shows on Apple TV+, and July saw the introduction of one of the funniest — and darkest — comedies on the streaming shows so far: Sunny. Screenwriter Katie Sullivan and actor Rashida Jones teamed up as co-producers for this adaptation of the novel The Dark Manual by Irish writer Colin O’Sullivan. The premise of Sunny feels almost like an episode of Black Mirror, which partly explains it’s early success with subscribers, though it’s the execution of the idea, and the dark humor it brings, that makes this one of the best shows currently on Apple TV+.
Rashida Jones stars in Sunny as Suzie Sakamoto. Living in Kyoto, Suzie is grieving over the disappearance of her sun and husband, who were involved in a plane crash and their bodies never recovered. She is then gifted with a live-in robot, Sunny, by Imatech. Suzie is, of course, suspicious, and it soon becomes clear that Sunny may not be all they initially seem, and Imatech may have hidden motivations behind their “gift”.
Ted Lasso (2020-2023)
Belying its humble origins of NBC Sports promo media for the English Premier League, Ted Lasso is much better than a show adapted from commercials has any right to be, and is Apple TV+’s best show. Reprising his role from NBC Sports’ Premier League promos, Jason Sudeikis shines as the endlessly optimistic coach, drafted in to lead a struggling English football team to victory. Ted may be a fish out of water, but he makes everyone around him believe in themselves, and he in turn learns a lot about who he is.
Ted Lasso seasons 1 and 2 were critically acclaimed and won multiple Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy and Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Sudeikis. Ted Lasso season 3 was a bit uneven, but still maintained the show’s honest depiction of mental health and strong portrayal of fully-rounded female characters. It’s unclear if Ted Lasso season 4 will happen for Apple TV+, but if the titular coach taught viewers anything, it’s to believe.
In 2021,
Ted Lasso
became the most nominated new comedy in Emmy history, winning seven of its 20 Primetime Emmy nominations — including Outstanding Comedy Series.
Mythic Quest (2020-Present)
The workplace sitcom has long been a popular TV subgenre, and though Mythic Quest isn’t in the same pop culture stratosphere as The Office or Parks and Rec, it deserves to be. The Apple TV+ show centers around the day-to-day happenings and shenanigans at the studio that produces the titular video game, an MMORPG created by the arrogant Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenny). Ian frequently clashes with his socially awkward yet brilliant lead engineer Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao), but beneath their feuding is an almost sweet creative respect.
Mythic Quest is a comedy series with something for everyone. Gamers will revel in the peek behind the curtain the show offers while non-gamers will still be able to relate to the everyday frustrations of office life. In the middle of each season is a flashback episode showing the creative origin story of someone important to Mythic Quest‘s development. Few shows celebrate following creative dreams like Mythic Quest, and it does so in a way that is never overly sentimental or twee.
Shrinking (2023-Present)
From Ted Lasso’s Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, Shrinking stars Jason Segel as Jimmy, a grieving therapist who ignores the rule book and tells his patients exactly what he thinks. Understandably, this unorthodox approach doesn’t sit right with Dr. Paul Rhoades (Harrison Ford), the foil to Jimmy and senior therapist at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center.
Shrinking‘s potentially fraught themes are balanced by Segel’s signature dry wit and goofiness, with Jimmy succeeding as both a parody and a realistic depiction of a classic trope. Undoubtedly one of Apple TV+’s best 2023 shows, Shrinking is a quirky study of grief with a huge heart and a powerful message about dealing with loss. The always reliable Segel finally got recognized for his TV talents, and earned an Emmy nomination for Shrinking.
Schmigadoon! (2021-2023)
Created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio with a first season directed by Men in Black’s Barry Sonnenfeld, Schmigadoon! is a delightfully quirky musical comedy series. Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key star as Melissa and Josh, a pair of backpackers who stumble upon a town perpetually trapped in a Golden Age-style musical — only able to leave once they have found true love. Schmigadoon!’s Emmy-winning songs, creative choreography, and original concept are parodies of the 1947 musical Brigadoon, yet the show is much more than a straightforward pastiche.
Following season 1, which parodied the Golden Age of musicals from the ’40s and ’50s, Schmigadoon! season 2 is inspired by musicals from the ’60s and ’70s, highlighting the creator’s ingenuity and the show’s seemingly endless reservoir of inspiration. Schmigadoon! season 3 hasn’t been confirmed yet, but hopefully, Josh and Melissa will find themselves trapped in a world of ’80s and ’90s musicals.
Still Up (2023-Present)
What’s great about Apple TV+’s TV programming is that in addition to its flagship shows, the streaming service has quite a few quieter, gentle comedies, including Still Up. The British series stars Antonia Thomas as bubbly artist Lisa and Craig Roberts as anxious journalist Danny, two Londoners who both suffer from chronic insomnia. They pass the late-night hours by talking to each other, though they’ve never met in person, and while they enjoy each other’s company, their close bond begins to affect their other relationships.
A comedy about a whimsical free spirit and a neurotic wallflower always runs the risk of being cliché and tired, but Thomas and Roberts make their characters layered, genuine, relatable people who are a pleasure to spend time with. And for not sharing the screen together, they have a breezy chemistry that makes the viewer want to keep listening to their conversations long after the credits have rolled.
Best Drama TV Shows On Apple TV+
Lady In The Lake (2024)
Apple TV+ contains many gripping drama shows and miniseries based on novels, and one of the latest additions to this tradition is 2024’s Lady in the Lake. Based on the 2019 novel of the same name by author Laura Lippman, Lady in the Lake is a period story set in Baltimore of the 1960s. However, it also has many parallels with the modern day — especially when it comes to two completely unrelated aspects of society: the fight for the civil Rights of Black Americans, and the current obsession with True Crime and private investigation into unsolved murders.
The story of Lady in the Lake sees investigative journalist Maggie Schwartz (Natalie Portman) becomes obsessed with solving two murders — that of 11-year-old Tessie Durst, and a Black bartender named Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), the latter of which nobody outside Baltimore’s Black community seems to care about. Critics have praised Lady in the Lake for being as gripping and mysterious in its plot as it is insightful and full of social commentary, and it fits in incredibly well with the many other great dramas on Apple TV+.
Presumed Innocent (2024)
Jake Gyllenhaal made his debut on the small screen for the first time in the 2024 legal thriller Presumed Innocent, which became an instant hit on Apple TV+ from the moment it debuted in June. The show is based on a 1987 novel by Scott Turow, with which it shares a title, and was also adapted into a 1990 movie starring Harrison Ford. The Apple TV+ show Presumed Innocent is the latest reinterpretation of the tale, and it’s safe to say that Jake Gyllenhaal’s turn as Rusty Sabich — a prosecutor accused of murdering a colleague — is a fresh, modern step-up from the feature film version.
Apple TV+ subscribers looking for a thriller in which every episode is nailbiting and full of jaw-dropping revelations will be more than satisfied with Presumed Innocent. Gyllenhaal’s experience as a big-screen character actor has translated incredibly well to the miniseries format, and fellow cast members such as Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, and Peter Saarsgard (among others) deliver incredibly solid performances too.
Sugar (2024)
The working lives of private detectives are rife with drama, so it’s no surprise that the sleuth story of 2024’s Sugar instantly made it one of the best shows on AppleTV+ — though having Colin Farrell in the lead role certainly helped. Farrell plays private investigator John Sugar, and by the end of the first episode, he’s tasked with finding the whereabouts of the granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Johnathan Seigel. It’s obvious that something is amiss, especially since Olivia’s family seem just as suspicious of John as he is of them.
With some fantastic location shots of both L.A. and, in the opening, Tokyo, and some incredibly genre-bending moments, Sugar has plenty to offer beyond its leading man and gripping vanished person narrative. The cast is well-rounded too, with Farrell joined by Kirby Howell-Baptiste of Killing Eve fame, Amy Ryan (Holly Flax in The Office), and Primetime Emmy winner and Academy Award nominee James Cromwell.
Masters Of The Air (2024)
Based on the book by Donald L. Miller, Masters of the Air was created by John Orloff and John Shiban with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg as executive producers. The wartime miniseries is of the same scale as Hanks and Spielberg’s previous miniseries Band of Brothers and The Pacific, and instantly ranked among the best TV shows on Apple TV+ when it arrived in 2024.
Masters of the Air follows the 100th Bomb Group in WW2 as they set about destroying various targets in Europe, though like its spiritual predecessors, it focuses on the impact this had on those that served. The cast is stacked with recognizable names, including Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan, and Ncuti Gatwa. Just like The Pacific and Band of Brothers, Masters of the Air speaks for itself when it comes to reasons to watch, and few dramas on Apple TV+ (or any other platform) can claim to be as gripping from start to finish.
Bad Sisters (2022-Present)
Sharon Horgan’s pitch-black Irish comedy series Bad Sisters revolves around five siblings living in Dublin. Horgan plays Eva, the oldest sister, who comes up with the idea of murdering another sister’s abusive husband, John Paul (Claes Bang). The first season sees the sisters’ hilarious attempts to kill John Paul thwarted one after the other until Bad Sisters‘ wild season 1 ending, which leaves viewers clamoring for the sophomore installment.
With several Writers Guild of America, Critics’ Choice Television Awards, and Primetime Emmy nominations, Bad Sisters is a thrilling and frequently uproarious murder mystery that proves the perfect conduit for Horgan’s acerbic wit. Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene, and Eve Hewson splendidly round out the rest of the Garvey sisters as a truly magnetic ensemble – a key reason why it ranks among the best shows found on Apple TV+.
The Morning Show (2019-Present)
Also known as Morning Wars in Indonesia and Australia, The Morning Show takes a peek behind the curtain of the world of morning TV, as the titular program’s male co-anchor Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) is accused of sexual misconduct. The Morning Show takes a frank look at both sides of the #MeToo movement in season 1 and continues with topical issues present in media. Season 2 examines the COVID-19 pandemic while season 3 sees a tech billionaire (Jon Hamm) wanting to acquire the network.
While the series isn’t one of Apple TV+’s most critically acclaimed shows, The Morning Show cast members have earned widespread acclaim. Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon have been nominated for several prestigious awards, with Billy Crudup taking home the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Emmy in 2020. Hello Sunshine, the production company founded by Witherspoon, is behind The Morning Show, and it joins the ranks of Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere as one of the most gripping, relevant female-driven dramas on television.
Black Bird (2022)
Based on James Keene and Hillel Levin’s autobiographical novel In with the Devil and developed by Dennis Lehane, Black Bird is a crime drama miniseries about a once-promising young football star unexpectedly faced with narcotics charges that could send him to prison. Jimmy is forced to use his gift of gab to take a deal for a fully commuted sentence. The catch is that, in exchange, he must help federal authorities coax a confession out of Larry Hall — a serial killer.
Paul Walter Hauser, who plays Larry, won an award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2023 Golden Globes, while series lead Taron Egerton was nominated for Best Actor, and Black Bird itself earned a nomination for Best Limited Series. Black Bird will surely be remembered as one of the 2020s’ best series, and it has more than cemented its status as one of the best shows on Apple TV+.
Slow Horses (2022-Present)
Those bored with smooth-talking, suave spies like James Bond or Ethan Hunt need look no further than Slow Horses. The Apple TV+ series centers on a group of incompetent MI5 agents (also known as “Slow Horses”) whose failures on the job have placed them on desk duty. However, they get a shot at redemption when they uncover a sinister plot.
Slow Horses tells a hilarious underdog story and boasts an incredibly talented cast, led by a scene-chewing Gary Oldman. He plays the head of the Slough House department, the rude and offensive Jackson Lamb — essentially Apple TV+’s answer to Michael Scott. But Lamb is deceptively smart, and he and his crack team make Slow Horses as thrilling as it is funny.
Best Period TV Shows On Apple TV+
Women In Blue/Las Azules (2024)
Women In Blue is one of several period dramas on Apple TV+ that take place in definitive decades of the 20th century and use the setting as a platform for commentary on current sociopolitical issues. Not only is it the first Spanish-language Apple original show (and is titled “Las Azules” in Spanish), Women in Blue has remained one of the most popular and highly-praised dramas ever since its debut on the streamer. Set in the 1970s, Women in Blue is a complex crime thriller that explores a pivotal period for gender rights.
The show focuses on Mexico City during the active period of a vicious femicidal serial killer whom the press have dubbed the Tlalpan Undresser. Frustrated with the lack of effort by the city’s police, four women take matters into their own hands to track down and apprehend the dangerous individual. This leads the chief of police to open up the force to women for the first time, and it’s here that Women in Blue becomes a fully-fledged commentary on women’s rights, with the central characters combatting sexism and bias as well as the Tlapan Undresser.
Palm Royal (2024)
The Apple TV+ period comedy-drama Palm Royale captures all the flare of the late 1960’s, bringing subscribers into a world of retro snobbishness and high-society. Set in Florida’s Palm Beach in 1969, Palm Royale focuses on Kristen Wiig’s Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons, a woman of average means who takes it upon herself to become ingratiated with Florida’s elite. She does this by climbing over a wall at the local country club, the titular Palm Royale, though is quickly found and thrown out.
Max learns she needs the sponsorship of an existing member to join. After a series of mishaps that include her vehicle being rear-ended, arranging an abortion for a member, and stealing clothes from her comatose aunt, Max manages to win the sponsorship of Dinah (Leslie Bibb). This may finally gain her access to the Palm Royale, but Max’s journey to the top of the Florida social hierarchy is far from over. Palm Royale tastefully mixes drama and comedy, blending some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments with plenty of social commentary.
Manhunt (2024)
Apple TV+ has always been a go-to platform for fans of period dramas, and the 2024 historical thriller Manhunt arrived and instantly reached acclaim as one of the best of the bunch. Created by Monica Beletsky, Manhunt is based on the James L. Swanson book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer. As the title of the source material suggests, the show focuses on the aftermath of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the hunt for his killer, John Wilkes Booth, which was carried out by Lincoln’s close friend Edwin Stanton.
Tobias Menzies of The Crown fame plays Stanton in the Manhunt cast, alongside Anthony Boyle — who also stars in Masters of the Air on Apple TV+ — as John Wilkes Booth. They’re joined by a well-rounded roster that includes Lovie Simone, Will Harrison, Patton Oswalt, and Matt Walsh. The murder of Abraham Lincoln was one of the most significant events in US history, and Manhunt has been praised by audiences and critics alike for truly capturing just how emotional a moment it was for citizens at the time.
The Buccaneers (2023-Present)
With offerings like The Essex Serpent and Dickinson, Apple TV+ has some of the greatest period series of any streaming service, and their latest, The Buccaneers, is among that number. Based on the unfinished Edith Wharton novel of the same name, The Buccaneers sees five vivacious and wealthy American girls looking for husbands in 1870s London. What follows is an enthralling culture clash as the posh British society looks down on these new arrivals from across the pond.
Anyone who thinks the period genre is tired and stuffy will be proven wrong by The Buccaneers. It brilliantly balances frothiness with poignance and has a lot to say about the expectations of women in society. If this series is any indication, lead actors Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, and Imogen Waterhouse will become huge stars. Mad Men‘s Christina Hendricks also shines as Mrs. St. George. Fans of series like The Gilded Age and The Great will no doubt be adding The Buccaneers to their list of favorite shows.
Lessons In Chemistry (2023)
A New York Times bestselling novel and Academy Award winner Brie Larson prove to be the perfect recipe for success with Lessons in Chemistry. Based on the beloved Bonnie Garmus book of the same name, this Apple TV+ miniseries follows Elizabeth Zott (Larson), a brilliant chemist who is fired from her lab tech job in the 1960s. She then begins hosting Supper at Six, a TV cooking show, which she uses as a platform to discuss feminist topics along with sharing delicious recipes.
Larson proves why she is one of Hollywood’s most lauded working actors in yet another winning performance. She plays Elizabeth with poise, self-confidence, and relatability, and her rapport with male lead Lewis Pullman is itself a lesson in chemistry. The other actors in the Lessons in Chemistry cast are also at the top of their game, making it one of the best shows on Apple TV+ as far as the quality of performance for an ensemble cast goes.
Best Sci-Fi & Fantasy TV Shows On Apple TV+
Time Bandits (2024)
There is no shortage of incredibly surreal sci-fi shows on Apple TV+. However, most are incredibly dark, heavy, or both. This is why 2024’s Time Bandits was such a breath of fresh air for the streaming platform when it arrived in 2024, as it manages to be just as high-concept and visually captivating while also being incredibly funny and a surprisingly easy watch. Based on the 1981 Terry Gillam movie of the same name, Time Bandits focuses on a group of time-traveling thieves.
The newest entry to the group serves as the audience’s anchor to the unique world of Time Bandits, as their latest recruit is 11-year-old Kevin (Kal-El Tuck). The rest of the cast of Time Bandits also includes the likes of Lisa Kudrow, Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi (who also co-created the series), and many more. Each episode sees the bandits traveling to a different point in history, which makes for many unique and hilarious situations, and it’s also one of the best family-friendly comedies on Apple TV+
Dark Matter (2024)
If there’s one genre that Apple TV+ excels at when it comes to original content, it’s science fiction, and this trend continued in 2024 when the series Dark Matter arrived on the platform. Much like several of the streaming service’s sci-fi shows, Dark Matter is based on a novel. Blake Couch released the book of the same name in 2016, and is also the creative mind behind this incredibly intriguing Apple TV+ show about alternate realities and the existential threats they present.
Dark Matter has an incredible cast that includes the likes of Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Oakes Fegley, and Dayo Okeniyi. The plot focuses on Chicago-based physicist Jaon Dessen (Edgerton), who finds himself in an alternate reality after being assaulted by a mysterious figure. Jason discovers that his family are in incredible danger due to alternate versions of himself, and must act quickly if he is to ensure their safety.
Silo (2023)
While smash success Fallout may have wet audience appetites for post-apocalyptic dystopias and worlds reeling from the aftermath of nuclear war, Apple TV+ beat Amazon Prime Video to the punch in 2023 with the acclaimed TV show Silo, starring Dune: Part Two‘s Rebecca Ferguson alongside David Oyelowo, Tim Robbins, and Rashida Jones. Set several centuries after humanity is all-but-wiped-out by the bombs dropping, Silo finds the last remnants of civilization living in vast underground silos (from which the show gets its name).
Silo contains none of the upbeat humor of Fallout, and in many ways paints a much bleaker version of the future, though one that’s perhaps even more steeped in conspiracy — especially when it comes to how humanity found itself sheltering below the earth and unable to venture onto the surface. Based on the books by Hugh Howey, Silo is currently awaiting season 2, and during the wait for it to return, the show finds a greater fanbase with each passing month as more and more Apple TV+ subscribers discover it.
Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters (2023)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters arrived on Apple TV+ in late 2023 and was immediately one of the best sci-fi shows on the platform — although this is of little surprise since it ties into Legendary’s MonsterVerse movies, meaning that it brings Godzilla and many other titans to the small screen for the first time.With an all-star cast that includes John Goodman and father-son duo Wyatt and Kurt Russell playing the same character at different points in history, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters isn’t just among the best Apple TV+ sci-fi shows because it features a heavy dose of kaiju action.
One of the first Apple TV+ shows with the scope and budget to rival the cinematic Netflix and Amazon Prime Video originals, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has undoubtedly brought a fair few new subscribers to Apple’s streaming service. While it’s yet to receive any major awards acclaim, it’s been responded to generally favorably by critics, and fans of Godzilla and MonsterVerse movies will find it captivating from start to finish.
For All Mankind (2019-Present)
An imaginative sci-fi fantasy that takes an alternative look at one of the most seminal moments in human history, For All Mankind is a thoughtful meditation on the ongoing impacts and potential missed opportunities of the space race. In the show’s alternate reality, the father of the Soviet space program, Sergei Korolov lived instead of dying during an operation, allowing the Soviets to reach the Moon first.
The astronauts in the For All Mankind cast are based on real-life top NASA astronauts from the late ’60s, with each succeeding season taking place a decade later than the last, providing a fascinating and realistic version of the historic space race. For All Mankind‘s unique premise and alternate history earned it recognition from the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming, and the Saturn Awards for Best Fantasy Television Series.
Severance (2022-Present)
A unique combination of dystopian sci-fi, psychological thriller, and workplace comedy, Severance revolves around biotech company Lumon Industries, which begins an experimental work program that separates employees’ office memories from the day-to-day of their personal lives. However, Macrodata Refinement worker Mark Scout (Adam Scott) soon discovers the conspiracy behind the experiment and what’s really going on at the company.
Severance was named one of the Top 10 Programs of the Year by the American Film Institute in 2022, and was also awarded by the Art Directors Guild for outstanding production design — just a handful of its multiple nominations and wins. Scott leads Severance‘s star-studded cast in the pitch-perfect satire of the soul-crushing corporate world. Given its brilliantly risky and mystery-driven premise, Severance season 2 will determine whether the series can remain among the best Apple TV+ shows in the future.